Sunday, January 2, 2011

Happy New Year

Note: For a really excellent summary of last year’s Top Ten Arts Policy stories see Ian Moss’ Createquity entry (scroll down once you get to his site).

Brain Pickings Year in Review. One of the most creative sites anywhere.

New Year’s Advice - Barry’s Baker’s Dozen:

1. Delete your email inbox. If there are some emails you will need, don’t worry they will still be in the trash. But start fresh.

2. Write a personal note to your 20 biggest donors. Invite them to lunch or an event. Make them feel special. Do not take them for granted. You need them – and other groups will covet them. If you can only focus on a few, pick the best candidates for moving up from one level to the next.

3. Bear in mind two concepts for 2011: Austerity and Authenticity. These might be the watchwords for the whole decade.

4. Call and make an appointment with someone on your city council, board of supervisors, state assembly or your congress man or woman and go see them. Just pick one. Begin or cement the relationship. Think 2012 and where you might be then.

5. Put someone under the age of 30 on your board of directors before the end of the first quarter. Just do it already. (The time is coming when organizations that do not have under 30 board representation will simply be ineligible for grant consideration – first from government agencies and then from foundations and corporations. At least I hope that will be the case.)

6. And while on the subject of generational representation, ask your staff for their advice on what to change in your organization in 2011. Give everyone a real voice.

7. Cut at least one expense line in your budget by 15% or more. Not possible? Are you sure?

8. Be careful using your laptop in airports – that is the number one hacker site – using false wifi connection scams. Be very, very careful of your identity – it is more vulnerable than ever.

9. Identify one person in your local community that could, if they wanted to, immeasurably help your organization to thrive in 2011 (it might be because of a big check, it might be because of something else). Talk to your senior board people and come up with a strategy to get to that person. Make it a campaign. (variation of Michael Kaiser’s advice).

10. Learn more about arts organizations in other disciplines or other sub-segments within your community. Make it a point to figure out how to interface with some of them. You may have more in common with other arts organizations in your community than you do with those in your discipline.

11. Use a sponge in your kitchen? Microwave it on high for one minute every morning. Kills 99.90% of the germs.

12. Make time at least once a week to stop to THINK about the bigger picture. Get out of your box. Yes, your organization is, and should be, your primary focus – but you and the organization are part of bigger worlds that impact what you do. Don’t forsake that.

13. Laugh every day (and if you can’t, then it’s time to consider another career).